Norman Black-footed Vase?

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I have a black-footed vase in Ada clay, glazed in Onyx Black. It has an ink stamp that reads simply "Frank." All of the Norman stamps that I have seen pictured have read "Frank Potteries" and versions thereof. In addition, this piece looks identical to other #55 Black-Footed Rose Vases that I have, other than the bottom (flatter than the others) and that stamp, and my understanding is that the #55 was not produced until 1942.

Any clues as to what I've got? Are there broken "Frank" marks like broken cat marks?

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From what I know about Frankoma and the #55 black-footed ball vase, you're correct about the earliest date of production -- 1942, and the Norman ink-stamps. And, no, I've never heard of a "broken Frank mark." All my Frankoma books confirm that information.

I own two #55s, both Ada, one Desert Gold and the other is Onyx like yours. As I began examining them carefully, I see some differences in them. The base of the black vase is very slightly thinner and its sides are vertical. The sides of the base of the gold vase very slightly curve inward toward the bottom. And the black vase actually appears to be a tiny bit smaller than the gold -- maybe because it's black -- I'm not sure, but I'm going to take them both to a shop tomorrow where they can accurately measure both of them.

Both vases have a light "55" impression. The gold vase has the impressed Frankoma mark (oblong O), but the onyx vase impressed mark is a mess. All you can see is the top half of an RNK -- no O -- and the bottom half of MA. And I had to use a magnifying glass to determine that. Go figure.

Is the "FRANK" on your vase truly an ink stamp, or is it an impressed mark that has been filled in with a black substance? Some of the letters on my onyx vase are filled in with black. I've always assumed it was just 60 years of accumulated grime.

And like yours, my onyx 55 has a flatter base than the gold one, but not completely flat. There is a resting rim, but it's less pronounced.

So you've got me wondering, too. Maybe the onyx 55s were an anomaly. If you have a photo of the bottom of your vase, I would sure love to see it.

And after I get those measurements, I'll post the results. In the meantime, maybe some other Frankomaniacs can enlighten us.